Archive for the ‘Alumni’ Category

A Second Edition of The Mechanics of the Circulation, written by Emeritus Professors Colin Caro, Bob Schroter, Kim Parker, (all Bioengineering), Emeritus Professor Anthony Seed (NHLI) and Emeritus Professor Tim Pedley, University of Cambridge, has been published, 33 years after it was first printed. Professor Ross Ethier, Head of the Department of Bioengineering, reflects on its importance to the field.

“The first edition of the book (known as CPSS to those “in the know”) was my faithful companion when I became interested in hemodynamics over 20 years ago. It was, and continues to be, the standard reference text for those that seek to understand both physical principles of blood flow and the biology and physiology of the cardiovascular system. It was distinguished by clear writing, a refusal to oversimplify the complexity of the subject (when relevant), and a holistic view of the field.

A measure of the impact of the book is to see how many colleagues at leading universities have a copy on their bookshelf. I have seen it in offices from Japan to Switzerland to America – a large footprint indeed!

The second edition is most welcome. It will introduce an entire new generation to the field, just as the first edition did many years ago.”

The Rector Sir Keith O’Nions launched a new chapter of the Imperial College Alumni Association of India in Bangalore during his recent visit to the country incorporating stops in four cities in five days.

A reception hosted by the Rector on 2 December marked the establishment of the new Imperial alumni network in Bangalore. Alumnus Vibin Joseph, who graduated from the Business School in 2008, is the new Chair of the Bangalore chapter. Speaking at the event, he said: “The Bangalore alumni who I’ve met tonight are extremely keen about the new chapter; it will provide a great opportunity for the younger alumni to look up to the older generations for guidance and advice – this club could become an aspiration for the next community of Imperial students who are applying and will hopefully become part of this community.”

The Rector meeting alumni in Bangalore

Sir Keith O’Nions hosted other alumni receptions in Mumbai, Kolkata and New Delhi over the course of his trip at the end of November and into early December. Alongside he met with representatives from government, industry, the Indian media and higher education institutions, including the Indian Institute Delhi (IIT Delhi), which has been associated with the College since it was founded fifty years ago.

During his visit the Rector also discussed plans for a new scheme to support Imperial PhD scholarships, through which funds raised by Indian alumni will be matched by the College to cover tuition fees and maintenance costs for talented Indian students. Fundraising efforts in India will be championed by the Imperial College India Foundation. The Foundation counts among its board members alumnus Cyrus Mistry (Civil Engineering, 1990) who made headlines worldwide recently upon his appointment as chairman of the Tata Group, one of the world’s largest conglomerate companies.

To thank the College’s alumni and supporters, whose generous support has enabled Imperial to provide more philanthropically-funded scholarships than ever before, a reception was hosted by the Rector in the College’s main entrance on 17 November.

This week Imperial’s independent student newspaper Felix hits a major milestone as it publishes its 1,500th issue. To mark the occasion some of its former editors have shared their memories of their time at the helm below.

This year’s Commemoration ceremonies on 19 October were particularly poignant for Flight Lieutenant Chris Shone who studied Aeronautics at Imperial from 2004- 2008: but due to commitments in the RAF he has been unable to attend his graduation ceremony until this year. Reporter spoke to Chris to find out how his degree has served him in the Forces and how he felt about finally making it to the Royal Albert Hall.

During Imperial’s Commemoration Day, Baroness Manningham-Buller, as Chair of the College’s Court and Council, congratulated over 2,200 undergraduates as they received their degrees in science, engineering and medicine.

Baroness Manningham-Buller first joined the Council, the College’s senior governing body, in 2009. She became its Deputy Chair earlier this year and took up her appointment as Chair in July.

More than 2,200 students will be returning to the South Kensington campus on Wednesday 19 October, as Imperial celebrates Commemoration Day 2011.

Congratulations to all our new graduates, and welcome to the Imperial alumni community. We hope you, your friends and family have a very memorable day. A stream of some of the tweets, videos and photos from Commemoration Day 2011 is below. To share your content use the hashtag #ImpCol.

Eliza Manningham-Buller succeeded Lord Kerr as Chairman of Imperial’s Court and Council earlier this summer. Ahead of her first Commemoration Day ceremony, Reporter spoke to the former Director-General of the Security Service about her initial impressions of the College and how she is settling in to her new role.

As part of the recent Rector’s Scholarship Fund appeal, alumni were invited to write a message to Imperial students on the back of a bookmark featuring Sir Roger Bannister – a St Mary’s Hospital Medical School alumnus and scholarship beneficiary.